Unexpected foe or lover
by novasupernova
Summary: KIBBS...KIBBS...KIBBS...What if Kate doesn't join NCIS? And Major T.Kerry is not dead...Will they find their future together or forever enemies?Find out for your self
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Bad beginning**

Special Agent Todd is enraged that NCIS has embarrassed her in front of her boss and the entire department. By the time she arrives at the Secret Service Headquarters, people are whispering about what happened to her the previous night in Air Force One.

She ignores them and walks straight to her boss's office, knowing her fate for the next half an hour.

Special Agent Todd wishes she would kick the NCIS agent's snooty ass. She just got yelled at by her boss, Special Agent Bauer. He was close to firing her for incompetence and failure; he said she was an embarrassment to the Secret Service.

Todd exits his office, head down, exhausted, defeated.She has been away for more than a week. She hasn't had a good night's sleep for over a week AND she just broke up with her lover/boyfriend, the football carrier, last week, before she departed with Air Force One.

She decided to break up with him because she saw him flirting and going out with her boss's secretary. She couldn't believe her eyes, but she was more angry and humiliated than sad or heart broken.

Caitlin Todd is a realistic person: she acknowledges that her boss's secretary is a beautiful blonde.

Kate is not a vain person, having three older brothers growing up, made her into a decent, realistic, independent but ambitious person. She never regards herself as an attractive woman: she values her wit, courage and brain rather than her looks, she admits that she is not bad looking either.

She is plain compared to the blonde secretary who Tim was flirting with. She sighs. Kate admits defeat. There is no way she could compete with the woman and why would she fight for Tim if he was already unfaithful to her anyway?

She is glad that she and Tim haven't gone too far.

She is pissed, but can't do anything about it. Her love life sucks and is going down the drain as the years pass. She can only pray that her career doesn't.

It is her fault, though, she shouldn't have trusted the NCIS agent. Trust is one of her downfalls. She hisses under her breath, "Special Agent Gibbs, you are going to be sorry that you tricked me…"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**Todd's apartment**

It is past midnight when she finally reaches her apartment. She grumpily throws her keys on the table and dumps her backpack and leather coat on the sofa.

Then, slowly, she heads for shower and falls in bed, exhausted.

It is almost three in the morning when she is awoken by her mobile, she grabs the mobile blindly, doesn't recognize the number, ignores the call and goes back to sleep.

DAMN IT, it rings again, for about three or five times, she loses count, screams in her pillow and switches the phone off.

Finally, some peace. She is back in her comfortable clean bed.

A few minutes later, she is jerked awake by her house phone line, she ignores it. But then she realizes that she can't risk another slap to her career and she picks up the phone.

"Todd" she mumbles in a haze.

"Special Agent Todd, I need to see you, it is regarding the Autopsy…" the person runs on, giving her an address and tells her that she is expected within the hour.

Then she asks, 'Who is this?"

"It's Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS…" he says.

"What???" she cuts him and hangs up on the jerk.

Damn! The Secret Service chick hung up on me. Damn it, she's got guts, he admits and smirks to himself. Somehow he feels bad for her, he feels sorry for her.

The woman trusted him, he betrayed her trust and he is sure that she is trouble because of him.

And she will be in deeper shit if she refused his help and he wants to see her pissed off face again - she is gorgeous and fierce but sweet - as soon as possible.

He dials her number again.

"WHAT?" she shouts in resentment

"Todd, you had better come here" She hangs up again!

And Kate goes back to sleep after she unplugs her phone.

Sudden attack

She vaguely hears knocking on her front door. She can't believe her luck. It had better not be her pesky ex, Tim. She told him to leave her alone or he'll get acquainted with her beloved Sig Sauer.

She opens her door groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Kate…" it is her ex, in front of her door at about four in the morning.

"Tim, go away! I am tired, and we are over." She closes her door in his face.

"Kate, listen to me…" Tim insists, holding the door open.

"Tim, there is nothing to listen to, there is nothing to talk about and I have nothing to say. I saw you hooking up with the blonde. It's forgiven and forgotten, it's over, so please, I am really tired." Kate is really sleepy and unwell, she is coming down with something, and she can feel it.

He says nothing, just looking at her.

"Go away, Tim, I don't want to see you anymore, let's not make it a big thing…" she hears the elevator's ding. She doesn't want her neighbor to witness the scene.

Suddenly, her door knocks her against the head and chest. She feels the sudden impact, then a blinding headache. Her nose hurts like hell and she can't breathe.

It happened so fast, she doesn't even have the chance to scream or retaliate.

Kate is caught off guard. She did not expect him to be violent. He pushes back and slams her body against the wall, he slaps her face hard.

"You fucking bitch, who the hell do you think you are? You never let me touch you. Do you think you are too good for me?" He hisses heatedly at her face, choking her.

He violates her roughly, he forces his mouth on her, but she refuses to open her mouth for him, she bites him. She hears him shouts in pain and he slaps her face twice, calling her a bitch!

He forces his tongue in her, squeezes her breast painfully, she cries in anguish, she can't breathe, she is choked, she feels one of his hands trying to pull her bottoms down.

She is about to give him her signature kick in the groin when with one jerk, he is pulled off her body.

Kate falls to her knees and tries to breathe and without realizing, she sobs.

She vaguely sees someone kicking Tim in his gut a couple of time and throwing him out. She is so relieved and happy that her brother is here, she is safe now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

**Saved**

Her brother pulls her to her feet and carries her to the sofa.

Kate bawls, she feels so much safer with him, he is not going to judge her, he might tease her afterwards for crying like a sissy but she doesn't care…and she misses him so much.

She cries into his chest like a little girl, she wails all her problems out, wiping her blood from her nose and lips with her hand. She complains to Jeremy, her oldest brother, he's been always her savior since she was a little girl.

He gently wipes off her blood and leaking tears with his shirt, not saying anything.

Kate feels odd, something is different, and then she looks up with her teary bruised face.

He is NOT her brother…he is…he is…she is getting her focus…he is her nemesis - it's bloody NCIS Special Agent Gibbs.

She pushes him away roughly. "You are not Jeremy…" she voices her disappointment, she is not thinking straight.

"Who is Jeremy?" He sounds angry

"None of your business! Get out!" her throat starts itching and her nose is stuffy.

He stands up, but to her horror, not to get out. Instead the man looks around and enters her bed room.

Her pain and tiredness subdued her fierceness, she can't see clearly because of her headache and tears.

She sees him coming out of her room with something in his arms.

He brings out cotton balls and ointment for her cuts. His touch is extremely gentle, it soothes her. To her surprise it calms her down.

She doesn't realize that she is still crying until he wipes her tears with his thumb.

"Who is Jeremy, Kate?" he asks her softly.

"He is my eldest brother. I thought you are him. I have three, and I am the youngest," she replies.

Why on earth did she reply? And why the hell did she elaborate? she asks herself.

She looks at the man in awe, notices his gaze soften a great deal.

Kate starts coughing badly.

"You are sick," he states the obvious.

"Yes I know…don't have…to tell…me…" she replies smugly in between her coughs.

"I'm in purgatory…and Gibbs…if I weren't sick…I'll kick your ass back to NCIS!" Still coughing, she threatens the man.

"It's Jethro…" he insists

"What?" she is confused, annoyed.

Gibbs can hardly contain his amusement.

She is a piece of work; considering that a few minutes ago she was attacked violently, assaulted and…sick; she's got balls!

He was furious when he saw the football carrier groping, hitting and choking her. He couldn't imagine what could have happened to her if he was not there to stop the son of a bitch.

"C'mon Kate…" he pulls her up without her permission, she sways backward from the sudden movement. He catches her in time and guides her to her bed.

He slips her under the covers and tucks her in as comfortably as he can...

Gibbs walks out of her room in haste. Her sweet smelling room is disturbing his concentration and making him question his sanity.

He makes a call to his trusted ME.

He peeks at her when he is done talking and sees her lulled into sleep, but with aches and pains.

Kate sleeps through the night, only to be awakened by: Dr. Mallard - a kind older ME that she met in Air Force One, and he made her call him Ducky? Or Duck…something like that.

He is very kind and gentle with her, she lets him check her out with definite trust and she continues dozing as he examines her. She loves listening to his gentle kind voice.

She barely feels him checking for her bruised chest, abdomen and bruised face, indistinctly hears him say sadly "Oh Caitlin…who did this to you, my dear?" He sounds so sad.

He goes on, "What kind of man would do this to a woman?" he speaks in distress. Kate immediately decides that she likes him.

Ducky is about to continue voicing his displeasure when he hears her speak.

"A jerk, Ducky…don't worry, I am going to kick his ass when I am fixed!" she said courageously.

"Of course Caitlin, of course!" he agrees with her, he loves her spirit.

"Of that I have no doubt, Caitlin." Ducky is looking into her battered face and smiles, he thinks she is the best thing that can happen to Jethro and the ME has no doubt that his friend has fallen for her, even though it doesn't mean that he'll admit it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

**Switched**

To her own shock, Kate suddenly wakes up from her snooze, as she remembers she switched off her mobile…oh no.

True to her prediction, eight missed calls from headquarters and a message from her boss, requesting her presence A.S.A.P.

"I have to get going, dear…I have unfinished…job to do back at my HQ." Ducky excuses himself

"This is my number, call me anytime if you need me…anytime, my dear," he offers.

"Thank you so much, Ducky." She is very grateful and the ME exits her room.

She coughs nonstop, she has to go back to her HQ, and apparently there is some problem with the corpse.

Then, she sees him leaning against her bedroom's door, looking at her in her PJ shorts.

"YOU…" she shouts and points her finger at him.She shouldn't have shouted, she is coughing badly now

"If I lose my job…I'll shoot you…I'll kill you, I swear!" She continues her hacking cough.

"GET OUT…and how the hell did you find my place…" she is more than mad! She turns her back on him, rummaging through her closet for a clean suit.

"Kate…" he is right behind her, very close, too close.

She is uncomfortable with his proximity but her pride doesn't let her show her discomfort.

"What, Gibbs?" she ignores him, still searching for a possible clean suit.

"It's Jethro" he repeats.

She turns and looks at him weirdly: what on earth is he talking about?

On the other hand, Gibbs is enjoying himself, looking at her bum sticking out of the wardrobe while she frantically searches for clothes; he can see some smooth milky skin of her lower back…and…oh GOD, is that a tattoo?

His gratification is cut short by her finding what she's been looking for. She turns, facing him with her angry eyes.

Then he notices her eyes change. They cool down slightly from the anger, into soft sweet chocolate brown staring into his soul.

Kate is surprised when she gazes into the clearest softest blue eyes she has ever seen in her life. It's not just the blue that fascinates her; it's the warmth and kindness they shine on her.

The side of her mouth moves slightly, almost into a very small smile and he notices the subtle change on her face.

Kate sees him moving closer to her…

--------------------------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**First fight**

Gibbs truly wishes that he doesn't have to tell her what he did. While she is lost in his gaze, he is mesmerized by her eyes. He wishes he can just taste her sweet flushed lips.

She is so tempting with her bed head, she looks small, vulnerable and all woman. Sweet, very different from how he used to describe women in the past, especially his gorgeous cold ex wives.

He tries to concentrate, he is not used in seeing her in her PJs, instead of her tailored suit. What the hell is the matter with him? Why can't he rein himself? And she is not a redhead - and the little thing is fierce!

-------------------------  
"I switched the body, Kate," he states clearly, noticing her soft warm chocolate eyes turning colder and harsher by the second.

"You what?" she couldn't believe her ears.

"And whose body was taken back?" she couldn't finish her sentence; it doesn't make sense to her.

"Special Agent Dinozzo, my agent." Gibbs wishes he is the one in the body bag.  
"Why…?" she whispers to him, trying to understand his reasons.

"I believe he was poisoned. It was not an accidental death. Ducky is performing the autopsy as we speak." he explains.

"You can have his body, once we completed the autopsy…" but she cuts him off  
"You selfish bastard! Do you have any idea what your action will do to my job, my career? My boss has already chewed my ass and he will definitely LIGHT A FIRE ON MY ASS NOW!" she is pissed, mad, beyond reason.

"I trusted you, I defended you…with your bloody NCIS integrity!" she hisses at him, jabbing her index finger at his chest. But what he said next, only makes things worse.

"Finding out what really happened to the dead man is my job, not your career, Kate," he answers, as if he has no regret.

Kate stops inher tracks and stays very quiet for a minute, processing what she just heard. "You are right, Special Agent Gibbs, it's a job. You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do, I am not some idiotic bimbo! You are going to be sorry you crossed my path on Air Force One. Now GET OUT!" she left the jerk and goes to her bathroom, slamming the door. She needs to be in her headquarters to explain the mess.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**First kiss**

She is in the bathroom, blaming herself. It's her fault…mea culpa. She wants to cry and crawl to a corner like she used to do when she was a kid and she waited until one of her brother come look for her and fix whatever was bothering her.

But Kate refused to surrender to her emotion. She is not a child, she is a professional, she has to be strong and fix her mistake, not just cry about it like a little girl.

Why did she trust the old fox?

I should have known, shame on you, Kate! She said to herself in anger.  
She is walking out of her bathroom in her undergarments. She was so pissed she forgot her clothes. She sighs, she needs to do her laundry soon.

Her mobile rings and she rummages blindly on her bed looking for it. "Todd." She surrenders to the yelling she is about to receive from her boss. She answers calmly with lots of "yes sir" while trying to cover her cough, she feels like hell but she decided to go through hell with dignity.

--------------------------  
Kate freezes in her tracks as she sees Gibbs leaning against her door frame, the bastard is still in her place! AND, he has the audacity to be looking at her…and bloody hell, she is not dressed.

Again, her pride and experience, living with three brothers saved her face. But she recognized the lust in his eyes, he can't hide it or he doesn't bother to hide it; she doesn't care.

Nonchalantly, Kate walks toward him. She is still damp from her shower, just with her matching black undergarment. "I have my Sig Sauer" she tells the man she has a gun.

"I noticed." Gibbs replies, locking their eyes.

Kate reached him. She is standing very close to him, trying to intimidate the man and to show him that she is not afraid of him or NCIS.

He can see the black bluish bruise on her chest and temple. He is mad as hell. "I am sorry, Katie…" he whispers.

Kate jumps slightly from shock that he said sorry.  
"I thought you said 'never say sorry?' "She asks him smugly, happy that she can intimidate the man. She perched both her hands on her hips.

Kate lets out a surprise yelp. Without warning he grabs her face swiftly and kisses her cut lips. Both of her hands are bracing his chest, trying to break free from his kiss, but within a few seconds she is lulled by his soft kiss and relaxes her brace.

His tongue grazes her teeth for her consent. She let him in, it feels like heaven.  
Her palms on his hard chest are roaming slightly, feeling his masculinity. He smells nice, she likes what she is feeling. His rough thumb is stroking her cheek softly.

Above all, she is surprised that a man of his gruff exterior and rudeness can be so gentle with his kiss and touch. Kate feels safe in his grip.

She hears groans, is it hers? Or his? Who cares?

His palms are on her back now, she faintly leaps when she feels his callous gaze burning her bare skin. His finger slips into her bottoms and caresses her ass. He pulls her closer and she is very aware of his hardening groin.

He wantsmore. She is too short for him to devour her lips comfortably, she is straining her neck to match his height. He switches his attack from her lips to her jaw line, to her soft milky neck and he hears her moan louder and starts twisting her head. The bed, he sees the bed, he could just walk and persuade her onto her bed.

Caitlin Todd is astonished but she loves the sensation.  
One of his hands is now holding her face, deepening his crazed kiss, he can not have enough of her. This time Kate definitely hears him groan.

Kate feels the carnal desperation from both of them, she loves it but caution starts to pop out of her head and she feels his hardened body push her back. One of his legs is between her thighs, his hand roams her thigh. It burns, she feels moisture in her womanhood, God, it feels so good.

Then his mouth is on her: carnal, hot, wet, passionate, wild and they are moving backwards. She hears him groan, calling her name and God, they are moving towards her bed.

She is hypnotized by his touch that burns to her core. The backs of her knees graze her bed. She is shocked. They are making out beside the bed and she is still in her underwear. He leans forward to topple her.

Out of the blue, she has a flashback of how Tim treated and attacked her violently. She is afraid, she pushes him away from her - afraid, breaking their fervent kiss, she doesn't know the man.

Abruptly awakened from his bliss, he looks into her eyes. Gibbs senses fear in her eyes and berates himself for going too far. He made a promise to himself that he will fix her fear - he'll make her feel safe again.

----------------------------  
"You should go, Gibbs," she speaks softly and moves away from his magnetic field of attraction. Her back is facing him as she puts on her clothes.

"I'll call you when we are done with the autopsy so you can collect the body," he murmurs. "And it won't be long, I promise."

Kate just nods, not looking at him. She ignores him and she hears her door close when he finally leaves. She is mortified that she is so easy, damn! She needs to get a life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Face the music**

She arrived at her headquarters within half an hour. She tried covering her bruised face with thick foundation and powder, but it looks so weird she decides to leave it alone and be done with it.

Her colleagues are surprised to see her broken face. Bauer was shocked, then furious.  
"How on earth are you supposed to work with that face, Agent Todd?" he shouts, saliva flying out of his mouth.

"And what the hell happened to you?" Bauer can not believe his eyes when his female Agent said that she hit her door on her way out.

After reprimanding her about the switched body, preaching about their embarrassment in front of the FBI, Bauer pulls her off active duty for a week.

"What? Why?" she is doomed.

"YOU must be joking, Agent Todd, do you expect me to let you protect the president with…that…that face?" Bauer shakes his bold head at his agent.

"Do you understand what public figure means? Do you REALIZE that you are protecting the President of the United States of America???"

He goes on: "I do not want our citizens and the whole world to think that the Secret Service is going down the drain and that we cannot afford to hire a decent agent anymore." He is not looking at her.

"But sir…" Kate tries to defend her case.

"Enough! Nodiscussion! I'd fire your ass if the President and the first Lady weren't so fond of you, do you understand, Agent Todd? You are on a very thin line here!" his tone is dangerous.

"You'll be pushing papers" he decides. "Now, go retrieve the body, make the switch back" as Bauer points to a man, sitting in the corner of his office.

Kate sees the man that Gibbs was talking about. He must be his agent, she has a clearer picture of the situation now.

The NCIS agent is sitting in the corner, smiling, not a care in the world. Oh God, he is eying Bauer's blond secretary and she smiles back at him. Kate can't believe her bad luck! She needs to starts going back to church.

"These arehis." Bauer throws a mobile and an ID wallet at her. She looks at his mobile: no missed calls, poor guy, Kate thought.

-------------------------------------------  
"Special Agent Dinozzo, let's go!" She calls him as she leaves the office and sees from the corner of her eye that the man scrambles to his feet, waving goodbye to her boss's secretary and running out after blowing a kiss to the secretary.

"So, Todd, what's going to happen to me?" he eyed her expectantly.

"Easy," she snaps. "I'll shoot you, put you in a body bag and get you back to NCIS." She is not trying to be funny, it has been a long, strenuous day for her.

Her mobile rings. "Todd." she starts coughing again, her nose is getting stuffy too. "Todd." she repeats stiffly, rubbing her nose.

"Kate, come to NCIS to get the body. Are you all right, Kate?" he asks, she is still coughing.  
Special Agent Todd hangs up with a terrible grin on her face. The ass doesn't even ask about his agent. She has a very bad idea and Kate looks at the good-looking knucklehead in front of her and makes a call to her colleague.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**NCIS HQ**

Special Agent Todd arrives alone in hercar and a truck is following her. As they park in the NCIS lot, she signals her friend to wait for her and she walks to the entrance as stiffly as possible. She doesn't want to be perceived as weak. Her head is killing her.

She stops when someone catches her elbow and calls her name, not Todd but Kate. She doesn't recall letting him call her by her given name.

--------------------------------------------  
Gibbs was waiting the HQ lobby, hovering near the entrance. A couple of other agents who are aware of his disposition clear the area. Then he sees his beaten angel lost a battle, as he saw her walking towards his HQ.

He wants to take her in his arms and take her home with him, take care of her, make her…stop! Yeah, Jethro, you old fool, wishful thinking.

"Where's the body?" she asks him.

"Follow me." he pulls her elbow. Kate is too tired to argue.

They enter an elevator. She presses her back against the sturdy cold steel, her eyes closed. It's been more than two days that she hasn't had a wink of sleep. It feels so good against the cold steel. She hears him call her name a couple of times. She opens her heavy eyes and clears her throat.

To her amazement the man dares to stroke her back. She slaps his hand away. "Don't touch me" she snaps in between coughing.

Gibbs is impressed: She is a hardass, like him, bloody stubborn too, like him, and he leads her to the autopsy room.

Kate is greeted by a welcoming voice. "Good morning, Caitlin, how are you feeling, sweetheart?" The sweet ME is in his scrubs, he looks like her father - kind, caring, a sweet old man.

Gibbs thought she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life when she gives Ducky her sincere smile despite her bruised pale face. Gibbs wonders when she will give him such a sweet smile, not his ME!

--------------------------  
Ducky starts talking and Kate pays attention to him and the corpse on top of the slab. Ducky has just finished his autopsy on the man. Looking down at the Y incision rocks her stomach, then seeing his dead eyes, his cloudy cold lifeless gaze rocks her core.

She knew the man, worked with him on some occasions. He was very kind to her; without realizing Kate reaches out her hand and strokes his hair without hesitation.

Then she runs, she gags and covers her mouth with her hand. She moves blindly and feels Gibbs guiding her to the nearest sink.

Kate empties her 'empty' stomach. She hasn't eaten in a while, it is just some yellow liquid, her throat stings. Ducky and Gibbs are at her side. She is so ashamed, it's been a long time since her last autopsy experience with the FBI.

"Sorry" she apologizes. "I knew him, he was a friend, and we sometimes worked together". What an excuse, she thought.

"I am so sorry, dear, the old man forgets that you are not used to it." Ducky apologizes. A peach like her shouldn't see such horror in her life, he is quite taken with the young Secret Service lady, she is kind and sincere - a rare feature in women these days. If she was his daughter he would definitely keep her at home: safe, well taken care of. Not running around as bullet shield, as her current occupation.

-----------------------  
Ducky is worried, he is looking at poor Caitlin. "Caitlin, you haven't eaten, have you, dear?" The ME is looking at her discharge.

Kate covers her mouth again. "Please, don't mention food," she begs as a single tear falls from her eye.

"I'm OK, when can I have him back?" she looks at them, what did you find, Ducky? What's the cause of death? Oh God, he is married with a kid, what do I tell them?" she wipes her face.

"In a few hours," Gibbs answers, looking at Ducky.

Ducky isconfused, looking at the daft man, but he goes along anyway. "I haven't found anything conclusive. I'll let you know when I do, Caitlin," looking at Jethro, annoyed: in a few hours? He can sew him up in 10 minutes.

"I'll make sure you get a copy of the Autopsy report dear," he adds.

Kate nods at him and she wants to walk back to the Autopsy slab, but Gibbs pulls her away and out of the room. "Let's go!" he insists.

"Where?" she is bewildered, he doesn't answer her.

Ducky is angry with his inconsiderate friend. He forgets that Gibbs can be an ass sometimes and he wonders how he got three women to marry him.

"Gibbs, I am not done yet!" Her head is hurting from the tug of war.

"Where is my agent?" he asks

"Oh, so you worry about him…" she said smugly.

Ducky is listening and he is very happy for her. You go, Caitlin, he said to himself.

"No." Gibbs smirks as he looks at her.

"He is in a body bag, Gibbs, the same way the major is coming out," she stares him down, waiting for the look of horror on his face. Bloody hell, she starts coughing again.

NOPE! He laughs at her face, shakes his head, they are standing between the autopsy room and the elevator.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" Kate looks mad and embarrassed.  
Ducky wants to kick his friend's ass, poor Caitlin facing the old fox.

Gibbs pulls her into the elevator.

"I am not invalid," she hisses at him. He doesn't answer her until they reach the HQ entrance. Kate can't help herself: "Gibbs, where are we going?" Kate thought he wants to kick her out. She resists his tugging, trying to stop him dragging her out. They make quite a scene, but he doesn't give a damn and keeps on going.

They are walking towards the back lot. "It's Jethro. I am hungry, are you hungry, Kate?" He speaks without looking at her, but out of the corner of his eyes he can see how confused she is.

He pushes her into his passenger seat, he enters, switches on the engine and drives out the lot.  
They stop in Georgetown. He leads the baffled Secret Service chick to a small restaurant at a street corner. Gibbs is so happy he could sing. He notices that the woman is not pushing him away anymore, in fact, she is holding his upper arm, following him. He loves the feeling of her needing him.

-------------------------  
As Kate enters the restaurant and smells the delicious oregano aroma. She realized how hungry she is and she hasn't eat for the past 12 hours. She is starving and she just eats whatever he ordered, pizza never tasted this good!

"Wow!" she says as she devours her food and Kate notices that he is looking at her.  
She smiles in shame, she excuses her manner. "Sorry, Gibbs, I lived with three brothers and if I didn't eat fast, I didn't eat"

He laughs and she keeps talking while enjoying her food.

In case he wonders, she explains: "I am not a girly girl, Gibbs." He cuts her off, this time he looks straight into her eyes.

"Jethro, you can call me Jethro."

"Ahh, I see, sorry, Jethro. OK, it's a bit weird, sorry, I mean unconventional," she corrects herself.

"You were saying Kate…" he wants her to continue. She is the opposite of him, she expresses herself through her body language, her face, her eyes. Her arms are active, she is fun to look at, this woman can't fake herself - even when her life is depending on it.

He starts profiling her, he feels a surge of hope and joy - she is very easy to read, which is great for him and she is polite and considerate, NOT like him who couldn't care less.

"Oh yeah, I am a tomboy, my brothers made sure of that, I even shaved my hair when I was three, they helped me, though," and they both laugh.

She told him, because of that, her father punished the four of them while her mother cried in the kitchen. But she thought she saw her father's shoulders shake as he turned his back on them, holding his laughter.

Then her brothers were mad at her, they blamed her for being a girl and they said her name should be Caleb, not Caitlin, and since then they call her Caleb.

---------------------------  
A few minutes later.

"I am not mad at you anymore, Jethro, you fed me well," she goes on. For the first time she uses his given name and he wants to kiss her right there, right now.

Her mobile rings. "Todd." She answers with lot of "Yes, sir" and "I understand, sir."  
After she hangs up she said: "My boss" as she walks to the cashier but Gibbs beats her to it.

"Thanks, Gibbs, I owe you one."

"Jethro, Kate, and you don't owe me anything," he insists.

"Sorry, thanks, Jethro, no, I still owe you one," she corrects herself. The man has paid for her lunch, and the least she can do, is say his name correctly…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**NCIS HQ**

The drive back to the HQ is much nicer, they talk decently, he is not rude or annoying. She is not overbearing, and boy, is she talkative, Gibbs notices. He can't help himself but profiles her again all the way back to the HQ.

When they arrive at the NCIS parking lot, Kate tugs Gibbs's arm and signals him to follow her lead. She knocks on the back doors of the truck and she opens them for him. He sees a body bag, half zipped. Dinozzo's face is flushed, he is_ inside_ the body bag.

"BOSS! About time!!!" the young man complains to his grumpy boss, he is handcuffed.

Gibbs is enjoying the scene – the woman, this woman beside him is creative!

Kate quickly uncuffs Dinozzo and gets him out of the body bag and truck. Dinozzo jumps down and continues complaining to his boss, but Gibbs glares at him and he scuttles back to his desk.

Gibbs calls Ducky to arrange to have the Major's body brought out of the HQ for Kate to bring back.

"Follow me, Kate. Don't worry about the body, Ducky will take care of it, I promise," as he takes her arm and leads her back to his HQ. This time she doesn't refuse, the sweet woman goes along with him.

Special Agent Gibbs can feel the curious eyes on them, the other agents wonder, what did Special Agent Gibbs do to her that she is all quiet and willing now, compared to two hours ago as he dragged her out of the HQ.

-----------------------------------

He takes her to his lab, introduces her to Abigail Sciuto, his goth technician.

"Wow, nice tats!" Kate is impressed; the girl is definitely different from the rest of her snooty friends in Secret Service.

"You like them???" the techie asks Kate excitedly.

"Yeah, art work, two thumbs up!" Kate gives the Goth her two thumbs up.

"Abby, this is Special Agent Caitlin Todd, Secret Service," Gibbs introduces her.

"WOW!!! So you are the Secret Service chick! You protect the president??? NICE!!! Hei, what's with your face? Do you have tats? Oh, call me Abby by the way, only Ducky calls me Abigail," she rambles on and Kate decides right there on the spot, she likes the tattooed Abby.

"Call me Kate. Unfortunately the Secret Service is not as glamorous as most people think, a dumb head hit me in the face, love your tats, I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Kate shakes Abby's tattooed hand.

"Abby, what's the result? Gibbs asks, after watching the two converse.

"Nothing yet, boss man! But I'll cross check all the evidence twice! Buzz you when I'm done," the Goth insists.

Kate looks at her. She has this crazy quirkiness and sincerity in her heart, she must be younger than her. As they leave the lab:

"Come again, KATE!!! See you soon!" Abby shouts.

Kate murmurs to herself: "I hope not, Abby." Her career simply can not suffer another blow.

"Oh yes, you will," Abby says to herself as the elevator's door closes, she sees how her boss man is looking at her, definitely…different!

------------------------------------

When they both arrive at the lot, the body has been placed inside the truck. Kate lets the driver know that he can leave, and she gives him the letter to be brought back with the body to the FBI.

"Thank you, Ducky. Please, let me know about the result," Kate asks as she hugs Ducky.

"Certainly, Caitlin, hope to see you again, my dear, and I am terribly sorry about your friend," as he hugs her.

"Bye Jethro,thanks for lunch!" Kate says as she enters her car and waves goodbye to them and leaves the lot in haste. She has lots of paperwork to do.

"Jethro??? Did I hear right??? What did you do to her? What did you feed her?" Ducky asks his best friend, who is walking away from him, avoiding his questions as he tatters closely behind him.

-------------------------------

**LOST**

Jethro Gibbs is sitting in his chair, lost in thought - thinking about Caitlin Todd.

A breath of fresh air, her kind chocolate eyes, her sweet smiles, her smell, her skin, her voice, he smiles to himself, staring at the screen in front of him.

"Gibbs, Boss, Jethro," and he snaps back to the present.

He is in the middle of his bullpen, sitting behind his desk surrounded by Tony, Abby, McGee and Ducky calling for his attention. They are standing in front of him, ogling him.

"What??? I am thinking?" he defends himself.

"About what, Gibbs?" Abby asks him slyly, raises one of her brows with a smile on her face.

"Results, Abby?" he snaps back at her.

"Not yet, Gibbs," she pouts and replies stiffly.

"Then, why are you standing here???" he asks the rhetorical questions that makes everybody return to their designated place.

Abby is annoyed and she walks back to her lab, but she stops at Tony's desk:

"So Tony, how was it? Did you meet the president? How did you like it there? I met the Secret Service chick, she is HOT."

"Yeah right, Abby! They let me sit in the corner, no food, no water, but a beautiful blond chick was sitting right in front of me! Wow, and the secret service chick's boss, uhhh…awful! I actually like our boss better, can you imagine that, Abby?" Tony compares.

"The bold guy pulled the secret service chick out of active duty for a week, I think, yeah! She is hot all right, but she ignored me, she is too old for me anyway, and too fierce and spicy for my taste - instead, I meet this hot blond chick with a huuuge…"

Gibbs stops listening to their conversation. Guilt seeps in his heart like poison. It is because of him that she is in trouble and got reprimanded in her job and he was such an insensitive jerk when she was mad about it.

"The report will be ready tomorrow, Jethro, I'll send it over to Caitlin," Ducky speaks up after being awfully quiet for a long time.

"No, give it to me, Ducky!" And he left the bullpen for his coffee.

------------------------------------------------

"As you wish, Jethro," Ducky murmurs as he walks back to his Autopsy room. He can't help it but smiles to himself, love is about to strike Jethro right on his face, perhaps. Suddenly Ducky's daydreaming is disturbed by his annoying apprentice, Jimmy.

"Why are you smiling to yourself, Dr. Mallard?" the young ME asks.

Ducky is annoyed to be disturbed from his daydream about young Caitlin and hard ass Jethro.

"Do you, fool, have any idea, that to fall in love and receive love back is the most difficult thing in this world? Young man?" The young ME looks at his mentor strangely.

What did he say? All he asked is why he is talking and smiling to himself, Jimmy thinks.

Ohhh, but Ducky keeps going. No one can stop him now - except Gibbs.

"One has to be at the right place, at the right moment for love to happen, and that, young man, seldom happens," Ducky keeps preaching to the confused Jimmy. All he asked is that why he was smiling to himself. "I remember the time, when young Maria was in love…"

Oh dear, Jimmy thought, here we go again, and follows his mentor back to the autopsy room.

----------------------------

**Sick**

Kate arrives in her HQ feeling much better, her stomach is full and for some reason she is happy.

After logging in her activities she decides to finish, well actually start, her paperwork despite her condition. She doesn't feel tired or sick anymore, her flu is gone, she smiles to herself and thinks about Jethro, the NCIS's jerk.

But she shakes him out of her mind for a moment. She decides to think about him when she is at home, on her bed, about to sleep, under her covers.

STOP IT, KATE! Shame on you, just because the man has bought you dinner.

So, she sits in her chair and concentrates on her paperwork. She goes on until about seven at night and her supposedly healthy body gives up on her, unwilling to cooperate with her will.

Her sight is blurry, her throat is killing her and she rests her heavy head on the table, what's wrong with her? She was fine a few hours ago. She can't drive home now, perhaps later, once she feels better. Soon, she hopes as she closes her eyes just for a moment.

-----------------------------------

Jethro Gibbs is in his basement working on his precious boat; thinking about her.

The boat in front of him can not distract his mind from Kate. He remembers every single detail of their avid embrace, he can still hear her moans, her yelps, feel her soft supple skin, her perky butt as he slipped his fingers over it. He feels himself harden instantly.

Damn it! You are too old for her.

Damn, how old is she anyway? He'll find out tomorrow.

That bloody jerk hurt her, she cried in his arms, she was broken. She is sick - without realizing, he reaches for his mobile and calls her home line.

She is sick, he reminds himself again. No answer, she must be asleep, he assumed. The woman is sick and he sees the time, it's almost two in the morning; he should try to get some sleep.

Bloody hell, he hates his lonely existence, but he will do whatever necessary to avoid the pain, again.

-----------------------------------

Kate is in purgatory.

She is cold, and all her limbs hurt. Her head is pounding. Her bed is hard, cold and what is this bright light? She wakes up on her desk in HQ. It is four in the morning or is it?

She doesn't care, she is cold, so cold that she shivers uncontrollably. She is lightheaded, her legs are not cooperating with her brain. She sways when she stands up to leave her table. She notices that her office is empty.

Painstakingly Kate finds her way to her car and drives home. She drives very slowly, her vision is blurred, her stuffy nose is bothering her, and thank God the street is almost empty.

It is dawn when she reached her apartment. She stays seated in her car, exhaling jadedly, glancing at the golden sky. Beautiful, she thought. Why is her life so ugly compared to the dawn? She breathes hard, reining her shameful tears.

She is on a desk job. She is so scared of losing her job. She wishes she could talk to her mother, but her mom hated her job. She feels all alone: her brothers are busy with their lives, her oldest brother got married last year, and the other two are already engaged, so Kate understands that they are busy.

She rests her head on the steering wheel. Just for a while, she tells herself.

Kate has no energy to exits her car and walks out to her puny apartment, she wants to shower and sleep - sleep for weeks and never have to wake up.

Kate dreams that she has already showered and is asleep under her soft blanket, squeaky clean, comfortable, snuggling deeper into her pillow. She is so thirsty though…cold water…please. She has a hot, aching body, she wants to sleep for a very long time.

GOD DAMN IT, stop knocking, stop it! The knocks hurt her head even more, she wants to throw up.

---------------------------------------------

"Stop it, stop, don't, please," is what Gibbs hears from her parched lips.

A few minutes after he arrives by her apartment. He was pondering whether to wait for her to walk out of the apartment or just barge in on the woman, when he notices a running car engine in the lot where he parked.

Gibbs walks to the car: it is her!

She is asleep in her car - damn it, doesn't the woman know how dangerous it is to sleep in a closed car? He knocks frantically. She moves slightly. He tries to opens the door. It is locked. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He runs back to his car for his tools to force open her locked door. Within seconds he unhooked her lock and he opens her door.

------------------------------------

Kate feels strong warm hands tugging and gripping her elbow, pulling her sideways. She smells fresh air and coffee, but the swaying hurt her head.

"No, please don't move," she begs.

"Kate, Katie, open your eyes, it's OK, it's me. You are home." She recognized his voice, the man with the weird name.

She is supported by his warmer body. She snuggles to his soft spot. She feels much better but can't stop shivering, it is very painful to stands up straight. He touches her sweaty temple, she has a fever.

"Jethro," she calls him, as her eyes flutter open and sees the most beautiful blue eyes gazing at her.

He carries her up to her apartment. She manages to say "help" and "bathroom" - the daft woman wants to take a shower. Kate insists on her shower before she goes to bed; after much of one sided argument he lets her if she doesn't lock the door.

Bloody stubborn woman! She said she is icky.

-------------------------------------------

Feeling much calmer and more human after the wash, with aching limbs she stumbles to find her undies and shirt and plops onto her bed with a smile on her face.

Gibbs waits outside her room until he hears her throw herself on the bed. He walks in and finds her lying on her bed cover with her feet sticking out, she is dead to the world.

He lifts her limp body, pulls her white flowery cover and slips her under, and he practically tucks her in. The woman curls on her side, lost under the cover, she has a fever and she sleeps fitfully.

------------------------------------

Again he calls his trusted ME, his best friend, to come to the apartment.

Ducky arrives within the hour. Without much being said, the ME attends the sick woman on her bed.

Ducky shakes his head, he is worried about her wellbeing, regretting her current condition changing from bad to worse. "Poor girl" he murmurs to himself. He listens to her heartbeats and measures her blood pressure and temperature.

Kate is asleep but she can feels his presence, recognizing his kind voice. She wishes her dad is here. She ignores his presence, then she feels a sharp prick on her upper arm.

Out of surprise she opens her eyes and jolts up from the bed. Someone hold her down. She listens on and off to Ducky telling her that she is sick, he had given her an injection to lower her fever. She nods hazily and falls back to sleep after she told him that she is cold.

------------------------------------

Gibbs stays with her. It is still past six in the morning when Ducky leaves.

He decides to keep her company. Perhaps it's the feminine fragrance around her bed, but he feels sleepy, eying the empty space beside her. He changes his mind as remembers the frightened look she gave him when they broke off their kiss. He has no intention of scaring her. He falls asleep on a couch after wiping her sweat and feeding her cold water.

He is alerted by a cry of terror. Kate is having nightmares, she thrashes in her sleep. He quickly approaches and stays beside her. He wishes he can do more that calm her down and wait, but she is not his to touch, not yet, he reminds himself.

At nine, he left for a couple hours to go to work. Throughout the day he visits her twice, checking on her, forcing her to drink. She just looks at him vaguely, complains that her arms and legs are hurting and she wishes she is dead. She feels his kiss on her clammy head before he leaves.

That day for the first time in his life, Special Agent Gibbs goes home early, Dinozzo looks at his boss weirdly - astonished that Gibbs leaves early. Dinozzo checks out the time, it is not even five yet. But Gibbs didn't go home, he stayed with her through the night.

---------------------------

Kate sleeps through the day, not peacefully but she is glad she can rest. There are times she wakes up so cold she curls up and disappears under her blanket.

The whole day she notices a presence, a smell, until she finally opens her eyes, sees his tired and worried face above her and she grins at him, she feels much better already, she doesn't know how she would have survived without his care - and Ducky's - of course.

He feels his heart blossom as he receives her oh so sweet grin - just for him. He hears a soft "hi" from her, she is still curled up under her blanket, he can only see her head, peeking at him. He thinks she looks cute, and she touches his cheek, she smiles at him.

"Kate, you've got to eat," he says sternly

"No," Kate pouts, shakes her head and snuggles back to her comfort zone. He can only see half of her face.

Then the woman remembers: "Heiii, how did you get in?" and he just grins at her, at that moment, Caitlin Todd thinks he is the sexiest man alive.

Gibbs thought two can play the game. He slowly stands up and walks out to leave her room, he counts…one…two…please…three.

"Jethro, stay with me, please," she whispers.

He thanks God she called him or he wouldn't know what to do. She doesn't have to ask him twice. Within a minute, he takes off his shoes, socks and trousers and slips in right next to her.

-------------------------------------

The woman seems to forget that he is a stranger to her. They've shared meals and a kiss, he can not be categorized as a stranger!

She snuggles up to him the second he settled on the bed. For some freakish reason, she feels safe with her ex-nemesis.

For the first time in years Jethro Gibbs feels like he belongs, he is now sure that she is the one. For the first time in a week he feels the weariness, he didn't sleep much.

For the first time in their life, they feel right and they are glad fate brought them together - no matter how terrible it started.

-----------------------------------

The next morning

"I did something," he murmurs in his bliss, having her in his arm, her skin is silky, her hair is soft, he is lost, surrounded by her presence.

"Please, please, please, don't tell me you switch someone again! Jethro Gibbs!" she looks up at him - horrified.

"You'll be the death of me," she said to herself.

"No Kate, I'll be your savior. No, I didn't switch anything else," he smiles in his daydream, kissing her nose.

"Although…" he wonders.

"Although what, Jethro Gibbs?" she is about to bite his lips.

"I called in for you, I called your office, told them that you are sick and you are not going to be at work for three days, told them that you are being hospitalized," he chuckles.

"Very funny, very funny, Jethro," she calms down. How sweet, he took care of everything, she holds him closer.

Gibbs is saving the best for last, just as she is comfortable in his arms against his chest.

"And when they asked me who am I, I told them that I am your fiancée." She tenses in his arms, holding her breath for a second, swiftly bracing her arms on his chest, giving them space, looking into his twinkling mischievous eyes.

They gaze at each other for a long minute, then she leans forward slightly and he takes control of her mouth. She responds as hungrily as he does, wanting to get closer to him. They are both in awe when they break their lock to breathe and she laughs. Their lips are still touching. He laughs with her too.

"You are so bad." She couldn't believe what he said to her colleagues. She gazes into his deep passionate eyes and he takes over her mouth again, sharing his passion, having the need to be inside her.

-----------------------------------

That night, they fill each other's emptiness, they calm each other's fears, they fulfill each other's desires. They come apart in each others' hold, shouting each other's name in bliss. In the beginning, their rhythm was languid and deep, but within the end, they couldn't control the gratifying sensation, and they greedily claim each other.

After their orgasmic tryst, bathed in sweat, her room is pungent with the smell of their lovemaking. She is napping on his chest while he is stroking her thick beautiful chocolate waves, kissing her face softly, savoring the sweet moment, just the two of them - away from all their troubles and past at that moment.

Gibbs feels like he's been reborn. Be damned with his previous failures, he would never let her go, he has never felt this right, in his gut and heart.

He looks down to her beautiful sleepy face and he says to her: "Kate, I don't regret crossing your path," and he kisses her head lovingly.

----------------------------------

They only met less than three days ago and she lets the man makes love to her. She and Tim were going about for almost six months but she hardly let him touch her.

Jethro Gibbs already knows that he has fallen in love with her. Caitlin Todd is sure that he would never hurt her and touch her in anger - they both wonder, is it true love?

Only time can prove it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV) BIG THANKS TO MY BETA.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Six months later:**

Kate is focused on her PDA, scrunching her face in concentration, busily tapping on its screen. She is in her car which is parked in the parking lot.

Someone has been watching her for quite some time from afar.

Then the person walks toward her, stops beside the car window. Then she realized his presence: holding a coffee cup, actually two cups of coffee.

She looks up and grins at the man, her right hand reaches to opens the door on the passenger's side, to let him in, but he is not budging. He just stands there with their coffees, staring at her in annoyance, frowning at her.

Ohhh…she remembers. She quickly opens her window, takes the coffee from his hand and gives him a smooch, she murmurs "coffee" into his mouth.

"Miss you too, Kate," he replies smugly and he willingly walks over to the passenger side of the car.

The man insisted months ago for her to kiss him first before anything else, like he always does to her and she always forgets!

She told him that he is fussy. He was annoyed because nobody has ever told him that he is fussy and he is not fussy!!!

--------------------------------------

They haven't seen each other for a week. His baby has been out of the country, working of course; she called him once every day and he called her once every day.

Secretly, they've been going out for almost six months, unfortunately their crazy schedules don't permit much of a "normal" dating life. There were times they didn't see each other for weeks, so when time permits, they'll meet - no matter how long, how short or wherever possible, in DC of course.

They kept the relationship a secret because they are both terrible at it. Kate said they shouldn't jinx it and he went along with it. He is a very private man anyway, he was glad she initiated it.

They both assume that their beloved Ducky knows about them, the man never asks anything about their relationship, but he often invite the both of them for a nice dinner at his place. Many times they ended up sharing a room at Ducky's place.

Lately, the secrecy has been bugging Gibbs more than he can admit to himself. He learned that he is not so private when he is happy, when he is content with the situation.

There are times when he wishes he could just brag about her, show her off, look how sweet kind and gorgeous his girlfriend is to the whole world. He might be old, but she finds him foxy, she said.

In short, he is falling head over heels for her.

--------------------------------------

Kate is driving to her apartment. She chatters excitedly about her week, she said she missed him so much and, there is more.

Finally! His 'baby' admits to him that she sneaked out one of his old shirts and brought it with her when she traveled. She grins at him, covering her embarrassment. She tells him that she would place his shirt on her pillow, she needs his smells in order to sleep.

Her boyfriend winked kinkily at her.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Kate. There are some people who are a lot worse than you," he knows she is ashamed of her new habit, but he is flattered and her new habit somehow makes him feel less wicked or wrong, because he took something personal from her too, long before she took his shirts.

"Like me," he admits, sipping his coffee, not looking at her.

"What, Jethro! Like you what?" she is not getting it, concentrating on the road, driving towards her apartment.

"Kate, I took some of your things way before you took mine, I notice stuff, you know, there is no secret. You took my shirt while I was asleep, or when you thought I was asleep"

Kate was mortified, bloody Jethro the NCIS jerk, always the investigator. She pouts, not looking at him. Then what he said before hit her.

"Did you take something from me too?" she asks him slowly, cocking her head curiously.

"Yes, Kate, I did!" he makes fun of her. He sees her frown, thinking, what did she miss?

Then she screams: "You pervert!!!"

And he laughs. She glares at him, she recalled searching for her favorite black cotton bikini cut panties that she loves so much, but couldn't find it and dismissed it, she must have misplaced the thing, since she has been sleeping over at his place, going back and forth..

"Oh my God, you took my black panties? The one with lace on them???" she can not believe it, the man doesn't answer her question, and Jethro Gibbs just smiles wolfishly at her.

"Wait a minute…_some of my things_, like more than one??? Jethro!!! What else did you take???" she is grabbing him blindly, she is looking at the driveway, and her right hand is trying to pinch his soft spot.

"I am not telling you, Kate. You figure it out yourself," he grabs her wrist instead.

He thought, she is so gullible, too trusting and innocent for his taste. Of course he is glad that she is trusting, but it's like a double edged sword, it suits him well, but it makes him worry about her safety and wellbeing. But he decides not too worry too much about it, he is always there for her anyway, and she will tell him everything in her own time.

-------------------------------------

**Sweet dream**

By the time the duo arrived in her apartment, they couldn't keep their hands of each other. Shame on them, Kate thought, they are not hormonal teenagers! But their passion would make marines blush, Gibbs once said to her after the heat of their passionate lovemaking.

They are kissing deep and hard in the car, one of her legs is on top of his. If the brake wasn't blocking her body, she would have pounced on him right there.

"Katie, I missed you, baby, I missed you so much," he whispers frantically, sucking her essence from her mouth, kissing her throat and her beautiful breasts through her blouse.

"Jethro…I think…I think," bloody hell, she can't talk properly, all she wants to say is for them to stop for a few minutes and continue in her apartment.

Gibbs thanks God that the parking lot is deserted. It is very obvious to outsiders that they are making out inside the car.

One of her thighs is on top of his leg with his hand holding it, stroking her thigh, she is wearing a skirt and it has hiked up, to her hip.

She pulls her leg back, straightens her damn skirt and exits the car. He is still trying to calm his need by the time she opens his door, waiting for him to exit the car.

After a minute, he is walking with her in front of him to hide the strong evidence of his arousal. He doesn't know how the hellhe managed to walk all the way to her door decently.

He sees her hand shaking slightly as she tries to unlock her door. He starts kissing her neck, licking her earlobes. By the time she manages to open her door, it is like opening a flooded dam of desires. He is rough and impatient, they do not make it to her bedroom.

He just managed to kick her door closed and the rest is carnal instinct.

He practically rips her blouse off. He hears her shrieks of surprise, but her eyes are bold, challenging him, unafraid of him, trusting him fully.

Minutes later, both of them found their love and peace in each other.

"I love you, Kate," he said to her, his face between her breasts.

"I love you too, baby," she smiles, kissing the top of his head.

Gibbs then realized that they didn't make it to her room.

They just made love on his favorite couch in the world!

He looks around, he is glad that at least all of her windows are still closed, or her neighbors are going to complain about the noise. BUT, that's a good idea to get her evicted so that she can move in with him. Stop! Shame on you, Jethro, he scolds himself.

He quickly hoists her onto his shoulder. Kate, who is dozing off, gives out a surprised yelp, but he ignores her and dumps her unceremoniously on her bed.

------------------------------------------------------

It is almost four in the afternoon when Gibbs is awaken from his supposedly short nap from their midday tryst. He is awoken by an aroma, a smell that he loves so much, and he snuggles deeper into the pillows, and he smells another fragrance that he just learnt to love for the past six months, it's the way Kate smells.

Then he opens his sleepy eyes, his nose is greeted by…ahhh, coffee and Kate, what a life!

Caitlin Todd is leaning by her door frame, holding a huge cup of coffee which she knows will be able to wake her boyfriend up. She sees him stirring and snuggling back to his pillow. She purposely blows over the hot coffee in his direction. He is lying on her bed, naked. Subsequently she sees him sniffing the air and raises his bed-head at her, gazing at her for quite some time and grinning.

As Gibbs opens his eyes, he sees her standing. Damn it!

She is standing just in her underwear, holding a huge cup of coffee, he guesses.

What a delicious sight and he grins at her like a hungry wolf. Apart from the giant cup of coffee he sees her milky voluptuous breast that he loves to bite and her face, her everything, he could never have enough of her.

Nonchalantly, he calls her with his finger, teasing her.

She teases him back, she shakes her head, signaling 'no' to him.

"Katie," he loses at his own game in seconds

"Yes?" she replies his call

"Come here," he beckons her and Kate leaves the room.

"Damn it," Gibbs cursed, the woman is hard to handle. Kate can hear him curse, she is trying her best not to laugh.

That's it! Gibbs jumps off the comfortable messy bed, still butt naked, he noticed and walks out towards the living room.

He freezes, there is hot food on the table, it looks and smells delicious. He shamefully hears his stomach grumbling from hunger. He was too lazy to have a proper lunch when she is not around and she knows it.

But the woman standing_ next_ to the table is more ravishing than the food_ on_ the table, drinking her - actually his - coffee!

He walks towards the lady in her underwear. Holding her hand, he guides the coffee cup to his mouth, taking a satisfying sip of the coffee

Jethro Gibbs prides himself for being able to go all night, until recently. They have been going out for more than half ayear and each time they made love, he told himself that he'll go slow and take his time to drive her crazy - all night long.

Yeah right! Each time they made love, he loses control, unable to reign himself in, but with his Katie, he is NOT embarrassed. He just lets it all go, because he knows she would never judges him that way. For the first time in his life he is comfortable with someone, someone special.

Hail the day he was sent to Air Force One!

---------------------------------

The couples are enjoying their afternoon meal. He just finds out that she is off duty for forty eight hours.

He loves that, in his mind, he is already planning when and how he is going to introduce his woman to the team. Only Ducky knows about them getting serious. His team means a lot to Gibbs: despite his fierce and hard way with them, they are his family.

Dinozzo only knows that his Boss is seeing some "older woman", from his point of view, because he has been kinder to him.

He has NOT received a single head slap for over a month! Boss Gibbs has been less tense! That he is sure of and not getting head slaps for a month is an achievement!

Gibbs recalls the other week:

"So, Gibbs, who is it? Spill the beans," Abby interrogates him while they are in the lab, waiting for results.

He answers her innocently: "I do not wish to spill the_ beans,_ Abby! I love coffee," he smirks at her like a father to a daughter and leaves her annoyed!

Then Abby tried to find out from their beloved old British ME, and she failed miserably!

All he said was: "I do not have a death wish, Abigail! I am still young!!!" and he left her in the morgue.

------------------------------------------------------

It is raining cats and dogs, but the couple who are asleep in a soft warm bed are undisturbed by the weather. Sleeping in each other's arms, Kate lays on his upper arms, snuggling into him, one of her hands is resting across his chest. The thunderstorm only makes them snuggles deeper into each other's arms.

Then, the inevitable happens:

Gibbs is awoken by his mobile, a ringing that sounds so familiar and he wants to throws his mobile to the wall. He sees Kate reaching for his mobile blindly over on the nightstand, and hands it over to him.

He sees the ID caller, one of his 'beloved' agents.

"Gibbs," he answers, he glances at the time, and it is past two in the morning.

Tony is being extremely careful, especially when his boss answers his phone dreamily like that, he must be with his girlfriend.

"Sorry to disturb you, Boss! Are you awake, Boss?" DiNozzo doesn't know what to say.

"What do you want, DiNozzo?" he asks. Still in his sweet dream, his woman is in his arm, sleeping. He feels sorry that she is awaken by the call, he kisses her head.

"Are you kissing me, Boss???" Tony tries his luck.

"DINOZZO!!!" Gibbs shouts at the phone as he loses his patience.

"Yes Boss! McGee got a hit on the print and I already called Abby, she was at a party, but she is on her way, it is Adam, boss. Your hunch is right" Tony quickly appeased his boss's anger.

Gibbs feels Kate kissing his jaw, cooling him down from the sudden shout. She whispers his name, telling him not to yell at his agents.

Tony hears a woman's voice!!!

Damn, he is right! His Boss Gibbs is in bed with a woman! WOW! He wonders what kind of redhead his boss is 'doing'.

"Be right there, in twenty," Gibbs snaps and hangs up on him.

Tony gawks at the phone receiver for a while, until McGee looks at him and asks: "What is it, Tony?" and sees Tony grins.

"Our boss is with a woman, McGee, he is NOT going to be happy. Go get his coffee!" he orders.

"Why me?" McGee crosses his arms in front of his chest, his hair is a mess, he hasn't got much sleep. Tony has been dumping work on him while he snored in the corner, literally hugging his pizza.

"Because you are a probie, and he will swallow you first!" Tony retorts.

----------------------------------------------------

"It's the Park case?" Kate looks up to her lover and sees him nod, she knows about his work because he talks about it.

"Jethro, it is raining," Kate sleepily comments and looks outside the window; as Gibbs rises from the bed and slips down.

"So? What to do, Kate?" he teases her.

"Don't go," Kate mumbles, teasing him.

"I wish I could, Katie!" he sighs and kisses her temple

Gibbs stumbles around in the dark room. Kate quickly turns on the night lamp to help him see better, his eyesight is not great.

Gibbs decides to be funny: "It is not like the Secret Service, Kate! Following the President in five star accommodation and places, all the luxury."

Kate rises from her sleep. "Hey, that is NOT true! It is not as glamorous as people think!" he really knows how to push her buttons and she sees him smirking at her.

"Thump!" she throws her pillow at him.

But he is way too fast for her. Perhaps she is still half asleep, because seconds later, he is striding across to her and kissing her hard, and she melted under the ministration. "Go back to sleep, sleepyhead," he said jokingly, before he starts dressing himself.

Kate yawns and scratches her head sleepily, then she quickly slips down from the comfortable bed that was occupied barely minutes before, and dashes to the kitchen. Her boyfriend dresses fast, she has to hurry.

After Gibbs puts on his clothes, he grabs his gun and straps it in his holster. He turns to say good bye to her, expecting her already back in dreamland, instead he is looking at a messy empty bed.

He frowns - where is she?

He exits the room and he sees her. Six months into the relationship, he is still not used to the sight that he is seeing now.

He can only see her back in the dimly light kitchen. She is standing by the sink, beside the coffee maker, preparing his coffee - real coffee. She knows how much he loves_ real_ coffee.

Kate always prepares his coffee whenever he has to go back to the HQ in the dead of the night! She would quickly prepare coffee for himthen return to bed. All alone, she complained to him.

But he is simply NOT used being taken care of to that extent. Usually his ex-wives would be irritated. Sometimes they didn't bother even to wake up let alone preparing him coffee and saying goodbye to him at the door.

He smiles and walks up to her, hugging her from behind:

"I love you, Kate," as he slips his hands to her waist.

Kate jumps in surprise and burns her fingers. She is pouring his hot coffee into the Styrofoam cup.

"OUCH, Jethro," she yelps in pain over the boiling hot coffee.

"God! Sorry, Kate!" he swiftly brings her fingers under cold running tap water, he could have head-slapped himself, he feels responsible for the burn.

"I love you too, Jethro Gibbs, but don't burn my fingers, please," she jokes with him.

"Sorry Kate," he murmurs, still holding her hands under the tap.

"Oh man! Now, I am really awake," she comments, "no way I can go back to bed."

"I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Go, Jethro! Go! I don't want you to be late"

Out of the blue, Special Agent Jethro Gibbs has a brilliant idea!

-----------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007-edited. (MV)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Abby meets Kate, again.**

Half an hour later, in Abby's lab.

The sweet goth is concentrating on her computer screen. She hears the unmistakable sound of the automatic door being opened and her old boss's footsteps. They sound different today.

Abby decides to be funny. She turns her body around with a frown, trying to mimics Gibbs, "You are ten minutes late, Gibbs!!!"

Then Abby notices somebody else, she sees the reason why Gibbs is late, and a smile forms on her cute face.

"AHA!!! Now I know why you are late, GIBBS!" Abby winks at the Secret Service chick naughtily.

"Hi Kate!" She remembers her name.

Kate is standing behind her boss and Gibbs is holding her hand. What a rare sight! OK, just the tips of her fingers but rare indeed!

And Kate winks back at the Goth techie, as she hands her a 'bribe': "Sorry Abby, we were in a hurry. No time to stop for Caf Pow. But I assure you that this is just as good." Kate hands Abby a pack of Arnotts Timtam.

"UHH, Thanks Secret Service chick. I love it." Abby exclaims happily as she receives the 'bribe' and rips the pack open. She is hungry and hasn't slept a wink, thank God her boss's_ secret_ girlfriend is considerate.

"Abby, I got to go…" Gibbs finally speaks up.

"Go, Boss Man, go! Go! I will take care of Kate. I love having female company."

"Bye Kate, I'll see you later," and he left after a quick kiss to her temple.

Abby grins, about to shout out loud, asking Boss Man about the kiss, but decides otherwise, it is way too early and tomorrow is another day. So Abby looks at the Secret Service chick. So she is the one.

"Wow!!! Want to spill the beans, Kate?" Abby raises her brows at her slyly.

"Don't you have to work?" Kate wonders.

"I am waiting for a beep. C'mon!" Abby replies quickly as she pulls her to the corner couch.

----------------------------------------------------

Since that day, Abby has known that Gibbs is not going solo anymore and she is sincerely happy for him.

She jumps on him when he arrives to take Kate home.

It is seven in the morning. Abby kisses both his cheeks roughly and whispers: "I am so happy for you, Mr. Boss man." And Gibbs looks at her weirdly and hears Kate is laughing hysterically on the couch.

Gibbs takes Kate home before Tony and McGee arrive with bags of evidence. McGee goes straight to Ducky while Tony loiters in Abby's lab.

Special agent Antony DiNozzo notices something different. He pretends to smell the air, sniffing around Abby. He touches the glaring computer screen with his fingertips, he scrutinizes the couch, chairs and inspects the rubbish bin.

Finally he speaks up: "You had company! Young – hot – female. Hmm…in her thirties?"

"Very good, Tony!" Abby praises her crazy friend.

"Who is it???" Tony sticks his face to Abby's, just inches away - curious.

"Do you really want to know, Tony???" Abby baits him. She will NOT reveal Kate's identity. Gibbs will kill her!!! But she is having too much fun at Tony's expense.

Tony looks at her slyly, trying to be cool. He lifts a single brown hair from the table, looking at it under the light, "brunette?!?" Tony concludes.

"Who is it???" he can't hide his curiosity anymore.

Abby stays silent for a minute, making Tony crazy. He pokes Abby's side with his index finger like a hungry monkey.

"OK OK OK! It's Gibbs's girlfriend!" she bellows, so that Tony will leave her alone. That's all she is going to say.

OH NO. That is like pouring oil over fire!

"Boss's girlfriend??? Boss has a girlfriend???" Tony chokes on his milk and continues:

"What was she like? What's her name? Is she hot? Brunette? But I thought the boss only does redheads?!? Is she HOT??? Tell me, tell me, tell me ABBY! Flaming brunette? WOW! Sexy lady? Boss is 'doing' a brunette, wow!" Tony rambles like a chimpanzee on steroids.

Then he notices that Abby is looking at him weirdly and is shaking her head at him, signaling him to shut up, but it was too late:

TWACK! Tony receives a head slap.

TWACK! The second head slap from his boss.

"Don't you have work to do, DiNozzo?" Gibbs barks at his agent.

"YEAH BOSS! ON IT BOSS!" Tony answers quickly

"Take McGee with you." Gibbs says as he is sipping his hot coffee, then when he looks up, he sees the knucklehead agent not moving his ass. Instead he is ogling him.

"You look different, Boss." Tony comments on Gibbs's look.

"DINOZZO, OUT! NOW!" He shouts and Tony scrams for his life.

------------------------------------------

**Nosy**

In the NCIS truck:

"McGee!!! You are dating Abby, right?" Tony is driving.

"Yep!" McGee nods.

"Hmm…" Tony nods his head like a wise man. Are you kidding me, like a wise crack man!

"Why, Tony?" McGee asks naively

"Did she tell you anything about Boss's secret chick?" Tony asks him slyly.

"Nope!" McGee answers quickly, plain and simple!

"Don't you want to know?"

"Yep!" he does wonder about what kind of woman can tame the old fierce grumpy pants, after all the man has been married three times.

"So???" Tony is curious, to put it better - nosy!

"So what, Tony?" McGee knows exactly what he is going to ask.

"Why don't you ask Abby?" Tony raises one of his brows at him

"No, Tony." McGee answers confidently.

"Why not?" the Curious Italian Monkey asks.

McGee sighs patiently, looks at his partner and: "…because, Tony! Sooner or later, it will unfold itself!" the probie advises Tony.

Tony rolls his eyes in annoyance, but he nods his head while listening to him. Tony is thinking: what kind of woman can make his old Boss happy?

------------------------------------

His Katie is away for two weeks. Hell! He misses her.

Sometimes, he can't even communicate with her for over three days. Then Gibbs would glue himself to the TV. Whenever possible - looking for the latest news on the president, wanting to know where his girl is.

Jethro Gibbs hates technology.

So, one fine morning, Ducky the old ME is stunned to find his friend learning from Abby how to surf the internet. Abby is standing behind her boss, explaining patiently to him. Ducky guessed that he wanted to search for Kate's wellbeing and location, basing his search for the President's location.

During the two weeks Tony noticed that his Boss Gibbs is watching TV more than usual, it is during the Presidential campaign.

Sure, Gibbs automatically switches his TV set on in the basement while he is building his boat, but the man hardly_ watches_ the TV. He usually listens to it, but now, he watches the news.

Strange - Tony raises his shoulder and asks: "You vote for him, Boss?"

Gibbs doesn't answer his daft agent, he just smirks and leaves him wondering.

Tony just confusedly looks at his weird boss and the TV set. The president is shaking hands with his people. The old man has gone daft, Tony concludes dejectedly.

He doesn't know that his 'daft boss' is hoping to catch a glimpse of his woman who usually stands around or behind their president.

Gibbs exhales, irritated with the condition, angry with himself for being too attached to the woman. But he knows that once she is within range and has the opportunity to communicate, she will contact him within seconds.

Yesterday afternoon, he was fuming mad when his mobile ran out of battery. As he reached the HQ, the operator told him that Agent Todd called when he was away and she will call again when she has the chance.

He smashed his three month old mobile in anger and frustration, then asked Tony to fix it – as he always does.

That afternoon, he asked for voice messaging services on his desk – a service that here fused five years ago, and after that he asked McGee to teach him how to use the bloody machine.

Special Agent Gibbs was in a foul mood for the entire two weeks. He came to work early and left work late, until one Tuesday morning. Gibbs arrives late at work, but he is such in a good mood – he whistles softly as he enters the bullpen.

--------------------------------------------------

It was a horrible two weeks for Special Agent Todd. She was paired up with the worst jackass in the Secret Service, he is the son of a senator who managed to pull some strings and get his son transferred to the Secret Service. Talk about nepotism.

Two weeks of listening to his bullshitting and sucking up to their Boss gave her a bad case of migraine.

Her partner - euwww, her working buddy - is a chauvinist pig and Neanderthal, and what's worse, bloody incompetent. He often made sexist remarks to her, to which she replied smugly, making him look like an idiot.

But the worst part of the two weeks is that she missed her Jethro

Two weeks felt like a month, sure she is damn busy during the day and some nights with her duties, but during the few hours when she is supposed to close her eyes and rest, she missed him terribly.

She is so used to have him beside her. Bad, such dependency, but she can't help it. Since they've been 'secretly' going out, he has always been beside her when she sleeps – when she is in DC. No matter how late or how early in the morning, even for a few hours, he'll be there; even with their crazy schedules, they'll find each other.

Kate remembered one specific time. It was two in the morning when he called her mobile, she was already in bed. He told her that he just arrived home and since she is already sleeping, he'll work on his boat and will see her tomorrow evening.After saying good night, she fell back to sleep alone - yeah right.

Somehow, in the early hours of the morning, he knocked on her door. Furthermore, when she opened the door sleepily – she found him looking at her, very displeased, with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

He was mad because she just opened the door without even peeking – while she smiled sleepily and shut him up with a sweet kiss.

The next day, she cut him a key to her apartment. And from then on, they both stopped kidding themselves, acting as if they don't need each other.

----------------------------------------

**Unwanted visitor**

By the time the presidential entourage is back in DC, Kate is half dead. Everybody is exhausted. They received several bomb threats along the journey.

Now, she has reports to be typed and filed, and more paperwork to be done. It is almost five in the afternoon when she is done. Kate is dog-tired, she is a light sleeper and she hardly slept during the two week journey.

Special Agent Todd walks out of her HQ which is surrounded by two meters high solid black bars. She feels and looks exhausted.

"Long weeks, Special Agent Todd?" the SS security guard greets her

"Yes Simon, dead tired." Kate replies.

"Have great off duty days, Agent Todd."

"Thanks Simon.See you when I see you." She smiles weakly and walks out the gate.

Kate exhales, letting go of all of the negative energy in her and looks to her right and left. She is so tired her brain is 'frozen', unable to think. What should she do next – all she cares about is going home for a shower, calling Jethro and sleeping for a week.

She is looking down the street, not paying much attention to her surroundings. Part of her is thinking about hailing a cab and the other part is hoping that her boyfriend is not on a case or at least at home – free to be with her for the night.

She didn't drive to work because of previous experience, she knows that she'll be too tired to drive, so taking a cab is a much safer option.

But for some reason, her mind is blank. She is in her zombie mode, she keeps walking with no direction, lost in thought.

She is still walking about half a block from the HQ when suddenly she yelps as someone roughly grabs her arm, jerking her sideways.

"HEI!" she is shocked by the sudden intrusion.

"Kate! Are you all right?" she hears his voice. It is 'his' voice.

"Jethro!" she is happy to see him.

"Kate, you almost got hit by a bike!!!" his tone is loud and angry. He is pulling her closer to him.

"Oh? I didn't…I didn't notice, I am tired."

"C'mon," he guides her away from the street, holding her hand, taking her duffel bag from her shoulder.

"I missed you, Jethro." She tells him.

But he is still quiet – not saying a word. He looks stiff and angry, Kate thinks.

She starts poking his stomach playfully. "What's wrong?"

"Kate."

"Yeah???" she is looking at him, still confused.

"Next time, call me when you arrive, OK?!"

And she gives him her sweetest smile and nods, but he is still_ not_ smiling.

By the time they reach her apartment, she has fallen asleep – peacefully, on the passenger seat. Gibbs switches off the car engine and looks at her. He strokes her hair lovingly and whispers: "I missed you too, Kate."

She is awoken by his soft touches – she is a light sleeper, Gibbs notices.

"We are home, Katie."

Kate yawns, stretches her arms and circles her arms around his neck, snuggling into him before she forces herself to exit the car.

Kate practically stumbles back to her apartment with him. He carries her duffel bag and circles his arm around her waist. She is light-footed, dead tired, but she is still grinning at him, very pleased to be home, with him.

In the elevator, she rests her head on his shoulder. He looks at her face from the side, she has prominent dark circles under her eyes.

Then, his woman sniffs his neck and nuzzles her nose to him, murmuring, "coffee".

He wishes to sniff her too, but she pushes him away from her. "No no no, I am icky! I smell!" Kate refuses point blank as she pushes him away from her neck.

But he is not a man that is easily deterred, he refuses to give up.

Kate counters: "Just a kiss, OK?"

He wouldn't say no to that, he is old but not stupid!

But she is saved by the bell - actually the 'ding' - from the elevator's doors opening.

Gibbs looks cheated! Kate thinks he looks funny.

He pulls out his key to her apartment and they enter her place.

Kate exclaims her happiness to be home. He is still holding her duffel bag when she turns around and kisses him, deep and hard. He just dumps the bag unceremoniously on the floor, his mind is occupied by the sweet glorious kiss they are sharing.

One of her hands sneaks into his shirt and teases him, playing with his chest hair. Their passionate embrace heats up a notch. They both moan before breaking their kiss to breathe.

Gibbs pulls himself together. He holds her face with both hands and decides: "Have your long awaited shower, eat and then sleep," he orders the woman.

"But…" Kate is surprised. She thought they are going to make love.

"No but,Kate," he insists as he kisses her forehead.

"I want to make love to you. I missed you. Don't you miss me?" she sadly asks him.

"Kate, not a day went by that I didn't miss you. Not a day went by that I didn't wish I can touch you and make love to you," he explains to baffled Kate.

He sounds so serious that she is the one who is surprised.

Gibbs continues, "…but you are tired. I know how easy it is for you to get sick when you don't have enough sleep! And when you are well rested, I guarantee that sleeping is last thing you'll do,Special Agent Todd." He grins slyly at her.

"Fine!" Kate pretends to be dissatisfied and walks away from him to take her bath.

She takes her bath with lavender and rose scented oil, indulging herself in the pleasure of hot water and a fragrant bath. Life is bliss, she decides.

Kate soaks in her tub for more than half an hour, she closes her eyes in peace, breathing calmly. Then when she looks at her surroundings, she notices something: There is more of her boyfriend's stuff in her bathroom than before she left for work, two weeks ago.

The man is obviously comfortable in her place. She bets that he is cooking them dinner, he knows his way around her kitchen.

Kate recalls as she soaks in the tub.

After they had been dating a month, he brought his toothbrush over.

The second month, some of his clothes were in her place.

The third month, they exchanged keys.

By the fourth month, they could have gone to each other's places and spend the night without worry because she had her toiletries and clothes in his place and vice versa.

Kate smiles in satisfaction, before she submerges her head under the warm water.

Meanwhile, Gibbs is cooking in the kitchen. Two days ago, hewent grocery shopping for both their places. He is now making his famous 'Chicken Cordon Blue" for them.

Then he realizes that he hears no noise or any commotion from the bathroom which is located in her sleeping quarters. He glances at the time – it has been too long. Usually it doesn't take her more than fifteen minutes tops for her shower. Her showers are usually quick, for a woman.

He frowns as he walks towards the bathroom and he listens - nothing.

"Kate" he knocks – no noise, nothing.

"Kate!" he calls and knocks louder. He tries to open the door, it is locked. He hates it that she locks the door.

Kate is jerked awake by the commotion at the door.

"Yes," she replies.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, sorry,I fell asleep, I'll come out soon." Kate swiftly rinses herself, grabs her terry robe and exits the bathroom in haste, she is hungry too.

She finds him still standing right in front of the door. Fragrant steams come out with her, greeting him. His girlfriend is squeaky clean and fuzzy.

"I am hungry," she announces to him with a smile.

Gibbs thinkshe has never been happier. He is about to kiss her when they hear knocks on the door.

Kate exhales. "Disturbance," she murmurs crankily as she walks to the door – with him spooning her, tagging along, not letting her go.

She peeks through the hole and Gibbs feels her tense up and hears her gasp in worry.

"Who is it, Kate?"

"It's my ex, Jethro," she whispers in fear and annoyance.

Gibbs decides to take over. "Wait in your room, Katie," as he lets her go.

Kate listens to him, he sounds so serious. He can see her fear and doubt through her eyes, but she doesn't question him and she leaves him to deal with the pest.

Gibbs opens the door, looking at the man that assaulted his girlfriend.

The man is very surprised to see him open Kate's door. Gibbs gives him his coldest meanest glare and he wants to beat the hell out of him.

"I am looking forKate." Tim bravely speaks up.

"I do not want you to see Kate, ever! If you dare see her again, if you dare get within ten feet of her; if I ever see your face…"

"You'll what???" The football carrier asks smugly.

"You don't want a taste of what I can do. But first,the MPs will be hearing from me." Gibbs continues his threats seriously and the man shrinks slightly as he hears the word MP. Gibbs is from NCIS, he is not joking. He knows what NCIS can do and what the man can do to ruin his career.

But the schmuck couldn't help himself, mocking Gibbs about his age: "Who the hell are you? Her father???" Tim smirks.

"If I was her father, you'll be dead already! NOBODY lays a finger on my daughter. Especially the way you did to Kate," Gibbs speaks with venom in his voice.

"Now, get the hell out!!! Before I kill you." and he slams the door on him.

----------------------------------

Kate is nervous, sheis sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging her pillow tensely. She can hear the argument clearly. She is glad that he is here with her, not that she is not capable of taking care of herself, but because she simply feels safer while he is around.

"Kate," she hears him call her name as he approaches her.

"Jethro, I am so sorry," she doesn't know what to say.

"Don't be, it's OK. It's not your fault," he pulls her into his arms.

"I am glad you are here, Jethro. But I still have to work with him…" she complains, then regrets sharing the information with him seconds later. She bites her tongue the moment she sees his face.

Gibbs didn't realize that the bastard might be scheduled to work with Kate at any given time.

"…but I can handle him! C'mon, let's eat. I am hungry," she changes the topic.

"Kate!" Gibbs is not happy with the news.

Kate rambles on, "What did you cook for me? I am starving!" while pulling him to the dining table.

She even pulls out the chair for him, but her effort is fruitless.

"Kate!"

"Uhhh, yum," she ignores him.

"Kate!" he repeats, demanding her attention.

"Jethro!" she mimics him. Then she realizes that he is not joking.

"I rather have you stay in my place than here while you are in DC," he voices his concern. "I am not always around"

Kate interrupts him. "Jethro, I know. We'll talk later," she starts eating – hoping that he will follow her, but it is not that easy.

Sure, he doesn't calls her name anymore, but he keeps really quiet and is not eating, just looking at her - eating.

Kate admits defeat. She puts down her cutlery and looks at him. "Jethro, it's OK. I can handle it. It's no big deal and, he's seen you here!"

"Stay in my place for a couple of nights," he is not budging from the discussion.

"OK, it's not a problem. I love your place. It has a boat," she agrees and jokes with him – she kisses his gruff face. "OK" she repeats.

And he nods in satisfaction.

They have their meal in peace. He is rather quiet, but her chatter brightens him up. Kate tries so hard to hide her laugh, because the second she finishes her meal, he says: "Let's go, get your stuff! We are going to my place."

"No coffee?" Kate is impressed.

"Very funny, Kate" he replies.

Before Kate can say anything: "Pack up, lets go! You should get some sleep…soon…in my place," he repeats, saying 'my place' again.

Kate only needs to get her laptop and some files because a quarter of her clothes are already in his place.

Within half an hour, they are leaving her apartment. Gibbs is rather excited that she going to spend the night in his place, because he is the one who always ends up in her puny apartment. Sure, he requested her to stay for a couple of days, but this time he'll make her stay longer - much longer

-------------------------------------

Caitlin Todd ended up staying at her boyfriend's house for over a month. They are practically living together, she only returns to her apartment for mail, diverting her calls and to get more clothes to his place.

Gibbs couldn't be happier. He loves having her there

Once, he called her mobile, and asked about her whereabouts and when she said she is in her apartment, he was displeased.

"What are you doing in your apartment? Don't you have everything in my place, already?!"

"Jethro! I have plants! And they need water!" Kate hangs up on him – the man is rather controlling. He must be used to getting what he wants, all the time. Kate shakes her head in disbelief while watering her poor dying plants.

She reached 'his' home around nine at night after coming back from her HQ, and she was stunned when she was greeted by her plants from her apartment, placed on the shelves beside the fireplace and she laughed until her tummy hurt.

Oh dear, he is really something.

----------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007- BETA (MV)

Special thanks to my BETA!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**J**ethro Gibbs's life changed when he went to Air Force One. And it is almost perfect when the woman he loves is in his arms. Sure, they are not living together, yet. But having her in his home is great.

He loves finding her things in his home. Her companionship is a blessing and waking up next to her every morning brings him peace and happiness he never thought existed

His home is cozy and well kept when Kate is there. He is not a dirty or messy person by nature, but a woman's touch is definitely different. His bed sheets are always crispy clean and it smells nice too.

His co workers and subordinates notice the not too subtle changes in his behavior. Their boss is less grumpy. They notice that he hardly stays overnight at the headquarter reading cold cases or doing paperwork. Now, Tony gloats at the fact that his boss brings home his work.

"Go home guys" Gibbs said as he heads to the elevator.

Tony and Abby who are having a heated discussion about the recently closed case, just gawk in disbelief at their boss. "Did Gibbs just ask us to…_go home_?" Abby whispers.

"Yep!" Tony is not wasting precious time. He jumps out of his chair, switches off his desk lamp, grabs his jacket and scrams for his life leaving Abby bewildered, unable to say anything else until Tony exits the bullpen and Ducky arrives in the bullpen looking for Jethro.

"Ducky! Gibbs asked us to go home!!!" Abby sort of complains to Ducky.

"He did? Good…good…good. You should go home, Abigail." The ME replies nonchalantly to the confused girl who has never been told to go home before by her beloved grumpy inconsiderate boss.

"But…" Abby tries to explain the oddity but got cut off.

"Go home, Abigail." Ducky said to her again and returns to his autopsy.

"This is weird." Abby talks to herself – and she goes home, to her coffin bed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

They are on the bed. Gibbs is reading his report and Kate is just back from her HQ, she has taken her shower and she is now plopped on their bed. She is teasing her man, by trying to grab his report and pulling off his glasses. He is so easy to distract.

"Kate, move in with me." Gibbs speaks out. He looks directly at her, eyes boring through hers, undisturbed by her teasing.He has been pondering about the issue for weeks.

Kate freezes. She is not prepared for the offer (or more like statement) from him. She withdraws herself from him, releasing herself from his grip, looking at him with surprise and slight uncertainty – not knowing what to say.

The moment is disturbed by her mobile's ring. Still in shock, glad about the intrusion she answers her phone, "Todd," she answers.

"Oh…hi Jeremy," It is Kate's brother, "yes…yes…no, no, no," Gibbs can see her smiling to herself.

"I am with my boyfriend…nope! Not that jerk!" Kate shakes her head. She is expressive when she is on the phone, Gibbs observed.

"Oh…OK, OK. I'll see you at the airport?" she pauses. "No? OK then, Miss you. Love you. Hate you. See you soon" and she hangs up.

"My brother…," Kate explains the obvious to Gibbs, trying to elude their previous conversation of moving in together. She is about to give details that her brother is coming to visit DC when Gibbs cuts her off.

"Kate. Move in with me," the man hasn't lost his focus from his girlfriend's babbling.

"Are you sure, Jethro?" she voices her concern, "Don't you think it is way…too fast?" finding the right words for the situation.

He smirks softly at her, "Kate…you can't," he shakes his head, trying the find the words, communication is not his forte."You can't measure what's right or wrong…by time, Katie"

He pulls off his reading glasses, "…too fast or too slow by time…I've been waiting for you for my entire life. Now that I've found you…what the hell are we waiting for?" he is rather uncomfortable in his speech, but the woman _has_ to know.

Kate is stunned. She is rather shocked by the sudden declaration from her boyfriend of nine months. She loves him and she knows that he loves her too, but she never figured out that he is that certain about their relationship. The usually talkative, full of opinions Kate is speechless – just staring in surprise at him for a long minute.

Gibbs starts to worry. Did he bloody scare her away? He shouldn't have said anything. Damn him and his rushing thing, "Kate…Kate." He calls her from her daze. "I didn't mean to scare you or…" he tries to explain as he is cursing himself.

His comment is nicely interrupted, stopped by her as she leans forward and kisses him. He throws his files to the floor as he captures her lips. Kate is straddling him, but he topples her so instead of her on top of him, he is straddling her. It was intense, and carnal. He can hear their rapid breathing,her fingers tangled in his hair.

Out of the blue, he pulls away from the passionate lock, cupping her face. Kate moans her protest at the sudden interruption, looking at him in a lustful daze, questioning his behavior with her eyes.

And, "move in with Kate…and marry me"

-----------------------------------------

Three months later

"Bye baby. I'll see you soon. I love you" She kisses his lips and cheeks over and over again, trying to somehow appease him.

"I hate your job, Kate," he complains. Gibbs is not distracted by the kisses he received. He knows what she is doing.

"I hate your job too, Jethro," knowing that she can't distract him as she keeps planting several kisses on him, "So…we…are…equal" and she winks at her fiancée. Three months ago, he asked her to move in with him and before she had the chance to say yes, he already asked her to marry him, proposing to her – and she said yes.

It is six in the morning. He stops a few meters away from the Secret Service agents' entrance to drop Kate at work, she is about to leave on an assignment She refused persistently when he said he'll drive her to work in the morning, told him that it is not necessary. She is used to taking a cab to work.

"Kate…" Gibbs refused to listen to her, "…I am here…at home. No fiancée of mine is taking a cab while I am available, OK?!" end of discussion.

So, here they are, still in the car, saying goodbye and hating every second of it. She is leaving for a week or so, she is not even sure and it is not like she can tell him her whereabouts

He sees her engagement ring flashing as she cups his worried face and kisses him gently, " I love you, baby. I'll see you very soon. I'll call you whenever I can.I promise, OK"

Dejectedly, he nods. Three months ago, he slipped the ring onto her finger, at least other men will stay clear of her so he hopes.

"Call me the second you arrive home OK, Katie?! You hear me?" He looks her in the eyes, insisting.

Before Kate manages to answer 'yes', he goes on. "I don't want you to wait until you reach home to call me, no more excuses, Kate. OK?!" He sorts of begs her, the woman has a mind of her own and she can be quite stubborn. The last time she went home, she almost got hit by a bike.

"OK, OK. I promise. I have to go now, bye Jethro" she exits the car with her duffel bag.

Gibbs waits until she enters the security point, waves good bye and enters the compound. Satisfied that she'll be fine and doesn't need him anymore,he starts the engine and leaves

He is going straight to work. His house is empty now. He has no errands or grocery to do. Before she left, Kate made sure that that he is taken care of. Last night they did their grocery, and guess what? They met Ducky.

The sweet old ME asked why on earth they are buying so much And Kate said that she is leaving for a week or possibly longer. Then Ducky said something that Gibbs is sure that Ducky regretted after opening his 'British mouth'.

"Wow, Caitlyn. Secret Service…I am always curious about and amazed by the title and the job hazard. I mean…" he kept going, not realizing that Gibbs' face has changed

"…I mean, protecting the number one man of the country…the president from danger…practically being a bullet shield…and to further…" THANK GOD Ducky saw Gibbs's face and Kate was shaking her head, signaling him to stop talking and changed the subject. That was the night before she has to be a bullet shield. Without fail, Gibbs spends the night, tossing and turning.

All night, he is worried for her safety. He thinks, never in his previous marriages did he tell his wives to change their job. He is damn fussy with his Kate, but the idea of his baby getting hurt on the job is terrifying.

Then Kate looked at him and stated the obvious that they are _both_ federal agents. Case closed! Before she occupied his mind with_something else_ that leaves the both of them breathless.

Thinking about last night, he remembers that he has to go to her 'puny' apartment (that's what he calls her apartment now) for her mail. It is a beautiful morning, the sun is just peeking from the horizon, shining at him in his contented life, and finally it is not mocking him anymore. After all these years, he can finally embrace his day.

------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, he arrives at Kate's apartment block and he grabs her mail and quickly goes inside the one bedroom apartment with ease. He already knows the place like the back of his hand.

He promised Kate to grab some of her stuff and as he is about to leave, the phone starts ringing. Gibbs picks up the phone and before he has the chance to talk:

"Hi Caleb!!!" a cheery voice greets him. The man continues, "It's me! Your favorite brother!

Gibbs clears his throat to suppress his laughter and amusement. It must be Jeremy, Kate's oldest brother "Caleb is not here. She is away for an assignment," he manages to talk.

"Oh" The man is surprised, "I am Caleb's brother…I mean…I mean Caitlyn…Kate's brother". Seconds later, "So…you are her fiancée" a statement rather than question.

"Yes, I am Jethro Gibbs."

"I almost had a heart attack when my baby sister told me that she is engaged…my Caleb??? Engaged? I thought she got engaged to the guy she's been seeing for a couple of month…erghh, he is bad news. By the way, I am Jeremy…"

"Yes. Kate talked a lot about you" Gibbs finally speaks up.

"Look…I am in DC for less than 48 hours. So, are you staying with Caleb?"

"No actually. She's been living with me," Gibbs thought that he is engaged to a Caleb.

"Let's meet up. I want to see what kind of man my baby sister chose to get engaged to, I am curious."

Gibbs already knows what is in "Caleb's eldest brother's" mind, he wants to check him out, protecting his little sister from a jackass, "OK, I am off to work now.I am free at five in the afternoon. Let's say George Town at 1900?"

"Hoo-ah" the man agreed. Right away Gibbs knows that he is a military man.

Minutes later, the time and venue are set.

"Oh Katie, where are you when I need you?" Gibbs mocks his luck. His fiancée's brother is going to check him out, and the woman has three of them.

Jethro Gibbs is not a coward. He is an ex-Marine with an attitude, his presence intimidates people.His communication skills suck. Bloody hell, he cursed. He is not a hormonal teenager who is afraid to meet his girlfriend's brother or family, but deep down, he is worried.

Worried about everything, his rap sheet is not very impressive. Let see, where can he start:

- Married and divorced, three times. Two of them to psychologically unstable women,and one of them bashed his head.

- He is fifteen years older than Kate, who's managed to keep her slate clear, she's never been married.

- He is an ex- Marine, now a federal agent, mortality rate is not great.

- He is paying alimonies to his exes.

Hell, he wouldn't marry himself.

Lost in thought, he drives all the way to the HQ. Trying to figure things out. He is about to be appraised by Caleb's brother. No, Caitlyn's, his Katie's brother. What is he going to say? What's her brother going to say? Things are going great but what if…

"Boss…boss…Gibbs…boss…Gibbs"

He is standing in front of his table, looking at his empty chair. DiNozzo, Abby and McGee are circling him, ogling him.

"What!!!?" he snaps and looks at them, irritated.

"Gibbs, you have been staring at your chair for more than three minutes," Abby comments. She is looking at her grumpy boss worriedly. She knew that Kate left town that morning and Gibbs is definitely not OK.

"Get me coffee please, McGee," Gibbs sits and rubs his eyes. And McGee just stares at him in horror. Did he just hear his boss said 'please'?

"WHAT???!!! My coffee!!! NOW!!!" He shouts and McGee dashes out of the bullpen to get coffee for his boss who just said please.

Then the scene is disturbed by a telephone call. Gibbs picks up his phone. Minutes later he throws the key to DiNozzo, "Let's go"

Tony knows better, he is not asking any questions, in times like these, just following the instructions

But Abby manages to grab his elbow and pulls him aside, "are you OK Gibbs?"

"Yeah, I amOK" he states the obvious to the goth in the pony tails

"She'll be back soon you know…your fiancée, she'll be back…soon." She thought that he is bothered by Kate leaving.

Gibbs smiles at her, "I know Abby" and he left the bullpen.

-----------------------------------------------

The 'bomb'

Abby walks slowly, back to her lab, talking to herself mostly. The goth recalls the surprise that her boss man pulled on the gang about three months ago,when he announced that he is engaged.

Ducky and she already knew that Gibbs has been going out with: "Caitlyn, the young lady from secret service" or in her version "The sexy secret service chick with a tattoo". But one early morning, Jethro Gibbs came in with his usual cups of coffee. While sipping his coffee nonchalantly he dropped the bomb, "Oh yeah guys…I am engaged to be married by the way…"

The bullpen was quiet for a few seconds before her shrieks could be heard from a few floors up. The others wondered whether special agent Jethro Gibbs murdered one of his agents.

DiNozzo was struck. "Boss! You are engaged?!?"

"Why DiNozzo?"

"To whom,boss? " Not answering Gibbs's question. Tony was totally lost in thought,consumed by the news.

"You'll find out soon enough, DiNozzo." as he made his way to exit the bullpen.

Tony rushed to Abby, but she quickly followed Gibbs to the elevator. Too late, he couldn't talk to Abby while she is with Gibbs. Then he quickly pestered Ducky for some information. How could he not know about his boss's relationship? But…unfortunately, the ME refused to answer anything.It's very annoying how the usually _extremely_ chatty Ducky just refused to talk and just smiled

-----------------------------------------

For the entire day Tony couldn't concentrate. Any chance he got, he ogled at Gibbs. Roughly around six in the evening, things escalated. They are back at the HQ, when:

"Gibbs" the boss answers his mobile. Tony's head snaps up from his computer screen when he hears the call.

"OK, I'll be right down" and Gibbs hangs up. Tony's ears ticked when he hears Gibbs' tone while answering the call. Gibbs doesn't use forms of address such as darling, love, pumpkin or sweetie, but his voice is _definitely_ different - softer, with affection.

The curious Italian witnesses his boss grabs his gun and coat and leaves his desk and heads to the elevator. This is his chance, Tony slyly thought.

The very second the elevator's doors close Tony dashes to the stairs by the fire exit. In the heat of the chase, he almost knocks Palmer, his ME's weird geeky looking apprentice off his feet

"Wow wow wow, Tony!" Palmer loses his balance as he is carrying bags of grocery in his hand.

"Make way Palmer!" Tony grabs his arms to stabilize him and at the same time, shoving him away.

"What's going on, Tony?" Palmer questions him.

"Gibbs!...Boss!...Fiancée" Tony manages to spit out his words as he continues running down the stair.

It takes Palmer a couple of seconds, before: "Gibbs? Engaged? Fiancée?" then it click in his mind. "Wait up, Tony!!!" as he drops his grocery and follows suit.

-----------------------------

Meanwhile:

Abby manages to catch up with Gibbs, she would like to congratulate Kate. They are both walking toward the blue sedan parked about ten meters from the HQ's entrance. Gibbs is grinning from ear to ear, very pleased to see her.

Kate is in the car, waving to him and Abby. The black haired technician can see that the woman is glowing with happiness. Gibbs reaches her first and kisses her sweetly, whispering "hi" to her. Then as Abby expresses her congratulation to the couple, Kate gets distracted as she sees sudden movement at the background.

She cocks her head slightly, as Tony and Palmer brusquely slam open the fire exit door. She decides to disregard the men. She recognizes Tony but not the other man. Gibbs enters the car while she is still in deep conversation with Abby.

Suddenly, the two women heard a deafening shout! From their beloved Gibbs, of course, "DINOZZO!!!"

And the person named DiNozzo flinched and quickly rushed back inside the fire exit. "Damn it" Tony cursed. He didn't get a good look at the lady who is sitting beside his boss, Abby was blocking his view. Tony cursed furiously, his plan failed, he has no idea who is his boss getting married to.

A few minutes later:

"Abby…Abby…Abby…Abby!" Tony chases Abby all the way to the lab. "So, that is her?"

"Yep!" Abby answers nonchalantly.

"Who is she?"

Abby just shakes her head, quite happy that Tony is bothered, not knowing the identity of Gibbs's fiancée, and she knows.

"Do you know her? She is not a redhead!"

"Good bye Tony" as Abby enters her lab and locks herself in. A big smile etched on her face as she sees Tony scowling at her.

--------------------------------

-Tbc-nova- BETA (MV)


End file.
